Ticket Synthesis Essay

810 Words2 Pages

Ticket scalping has been the subject of a long-time debate surrounding the ethics of such a practice- while reselling tickets does provide an easy opportunity for a quick buck, it simultaneously restricts access to those of the wealthier class and drives prices to outrageously high rates. In a society that worships the success of famous musicians and craves constant stimulation, the entertainment industry is essential to both the culture and economy of our country. The numerous drawbacks of ticket scalping ultimately outweigh the benefits, forming a consistent threat to consumers seeking a means of entertainment. Arguably the most prominent issue stemming from the act of ticket scalping, resell prices frequently rise to costs well-above affordable …show more content…

With unreasonable prices which only the wealthy are able and willing to pay, ticket scalping unfairly excludes ticket access from the majority of concert-goers. As Forbes states, “Some fans get priced out altogether, and even fans willing to spend hundreds of dollars may only be able to afford seats in the nosebleed sections.”Moreover, prices pose the risk of unprecedented escalation. The unpredictability of whether the prices will fluctuate “does not provide any insight to the consumer on future price movements. In other words, the consumer is subject to the laws of supply and demand in the secondary market” (Tompkins). The ability for consumers to attend the event of their choice almost entirely depends on the greed of the ticket scalper- a factor which cannot be trusted. Forbes compares this unethicality to that of the housing crisis, shedding light on the similarities between profiteers and “landlords [who] overcharge for substandard housing”. Ticket scalpers often take advantage of the subjectivity of value between supply and demand, preying upon desperate fans to fill their own pockets with …show more content…

The face value of a ticket is determined by the artist and their team, which work to set a fair price based on the perceived quality of the artist, seat location, and need for profit, among numerous other factors. For a one-night event with overpriced vendors and a lack of transparency in viewing quality, there lies a great chance the memories may not be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Additionally, as stated by Tompkins in Source A, “consumers cannot evaluate the quality of the ticket prior to purchase nor judge for themselves if the ticket is a fair price for the seat location.” Messages and posts from ticket scalpers often provide the consumer a misinterpretation of the view, especially considering that they are willing to lie to make the sale, and a seating chart from Google can rarely provide a true, sufficient understanding of the seat location’s quality. Furthermore, ticket scalpers often use software which allows them to mass-purchase tickets during the original sale, ultimately hogging excessive amounts of tickets from other

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